XIVIA XYLITOL White PAPER

Sustainable and substantiated

For more sustainable, healthier products

DuPont commitment to sustainability

Over the last decade DuPont has proven to be a sustainability
leader, with our demonstrated performance in reducing our
value chain impacts and harnessing opportunities to address
global challenges in food, health, chemicals and energy. By
managing the risks and building capacity in our supply chain,
reducing our operational, environmental and social impacts
and delivering sustainable product offerings to the market,
we have developed a differentiated business approach where
sustainability challenges and concerns are seen as opportunities
to advance impact reduction in our customers processes and
consumer applications.
Environmental and social impacts can occur throughout a
products life cycle: from raw material acquisition to production (cradle to gate) or from raw material acquisition to use and
end-of-life (cradle to grave). We have fine-tuned our approach
to include Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental
footprinting to guide our product development efforts towards
reducing our impact and to provide quantitative impact data to
our customers, retailers and consumers.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used at DuPont as an

analytical tool to quantify and interpret the environmental flows
to and from the environment (including emissions to air, water
and land, as well as the consumption of energy and other
material resources), over the entire life cycle of a product or
service. By including the impacts throughout the product life
cycle, LCA provides a comprehensive view of the environmental
aspects of the product or process and a more accurate picture of
the improvement potentials and the environmental trade-offs
DuPont Danisco Xylitol (branded as XIVIATM) offers unique
benefits toward sustainability. This paper documents the findings
of an independent comparative LCA of Xylitol production by
two alternative production processes; the DuPont Wood Based
integration concept (DWB), unique to DuPont, and the Biomass
Hydrolysis Process (BHP), which is the conventional industry
standard used by many of DuPonts competitors.
This assessment has been conducted according to the ISO 14040
14044 standards for comparative LCAs. The assessment results
demonstrate (see chapter 3, figures 4 and 5) that the DWB
integrated manufacturing process is 84-99% less impactful than
the BHP concept, leading to a significantly less impactful and
more sustainable product for our environment.
T he carbon footprint of DWB Xylitol is 90% lower than
when produced by the BHP concept.
The DWB method requires significantly less energy (85%
lower), has less impact on toxicity for both land (94% less)
and water (99% less), and has less impact on ozone layer
depletion (86% less).
All other measured biomarkers were 84-99% lower for the
DWB method.

This document explains how the DWB integrated manufacturing

process for XIVIATM can be a key differentiator for customers
in the global health and nutrition business. It also details
why DuPonts Wood Based integration concept used in
XIVIATM manufacturing is superior to conventional biomassbased extraction technology.

1.1 Biomass Hydrolysis Process (BHP)

1. Assessing the sustainability of Xylitol

production in detail
EarthShift LLC conducted a comparative LCA for the two
industry standard Xylitol manufacturing processes. The Biomass
Hydrolysis Process, using corn cobs, and the DuPont Wood
Based integration concept, a more modern extraction method
based on utilising paper and pulp side streams as feedstock.
The LCA model is built around the production of 1000 kg
crystalline Xylitol as a reference unit and takes into account the
potential environmental impact caused by raw material use,
air, water and soil emissions in 15 impact categories, from
cradle-to-gate.

The BHP concept is based on the use of corncobs, which are

what remains of an ear of corn after the kernels have been
extracted. Owing to a high xylose content of more than 25%
(Kabel et al.,2002), corn cobs serve as an attractive feedstock
for Xylitol production.
After the corncobs are brought to the facility, they are acid
hydrolysed in order to breakdown the structural components.
When submitted to this acid hydrolysis process, lignocellulosic
materials such as corncobs generate a hemicellulosic hydrolysate,
consisting of solubilised sugars like glucose, xylose and arabinose.
The extraction steps for xylose production following the
hydrolysis are essentially purification and filtration.
The xylose is then converted into Xylitol. This involves
hydrogenation of xylose followed by separation and evaporation
to yield crystallised Xylitol. Figure 1 shows a simplified process
flow diagram for biomass-based concept.

Figure 1 - Process flow diagram representing a typical

Biomass Hydrolysis Process (BHP)

Figure 1 Process flow diagram representing a typical Biomass Hydrolysis Process (BHP)

Sulfuric Acid

~90%
Acid
Hydrolysis

~10%

Biomass

Biomass
Waste
Sugar
Liquor

Multi-step
Purification

Xylitol

No heat value
(water content 90%)
No feed value
(no sugars, pH 1)

Solid waste (filter cake etc.)

Waste water
(acid and caustic regenerates)

Xylose

1.2 DuPont Wood Based concept (DWB)

The DWB concept, an integrated process for Xylitol production,
follows the same general process of purification and filtration to
extract xylose and then Xylitol.
In the DWB process, the xylose producing facility is integrated
with a pulp and paper plant. Pulp and paper plants typically
produce a waste side stream consisting of black liquor that
has a high carbohydrate content and energy value. The side
stream is usually combusted to produce heat and electricity
which is used internally to fuel the pulp production within
the plant.
The DWB process uses only side streams from wood originating
from sustainably managed forests. Our integration partners
hold a number of certificates to provide proof of this sustainable
approach (FSC, PEFC, SFI etc.).

The integration of xylose production with a pulp and paper plant

takes advantage of the high carbohydrate content of the side
stream and utilises this waste stream as feedstock. The xylose in
this feedstock is already in a hydrolysed form, and therefore in
the DWB process there is no use of acid for hydrolysis.
Once xylose is extracted, the remaining side stream with reduced
xylose content and reduced energy value is returned back to the
pulp and paper plant for incineration and energy production.
For the purposes of this LCA, the production of xylose at the
DuPont Lenzing plant in Austria and the manufacture of Xylitol
at the DuPont Kotka, Finland plant were used. As xylose
production causes the majority of the impact in the LCA, the
choice of Xylitol production plant was found to have a negligible
effect on the overall study results.

Figure 2 - Process flow diagram representing DWB

integration concept

Figure 2 Process flow diagram representing a DWB integration concept

Cellulose
Wood
chips

Pulp
cooking

Energy
recovery

Carbohydrate
Side Stream

Remaining Side Stream

Viscose fibres

DuPont

Xylose DuPont
Lenzing

In order to ensure that both the processes produce a marketable product similar in quality, the quality specifications for
producing marketable Xylitol were considered. Figure 3 outlines the quality criteria met by the two products.

Figure 3 Quality Criteria for products from two processes

Quality Criteria

Maximum Allowed

BHP Process

DWB Process

Xylitol (HPLC Assay

based on dry substance)

100.50%

98.5-101%

Moisture

0.20%

0.04%

<0.2%

Nickel

1mg/kg

<1mg/kg

<1mg/kg

Arsenic

0.5mg/kg

<0.5mg/kg

<0.5mg/kg

Heavy Metals

1mg/kg

<1mg/kg

<1mg/kg

Lead

0.3mg/kg

<0.3mg/kg

<0.3mg/kg

pH

5.6

5.0 - 7.0

Total Polyols (based

on dry substance)

1%

0.02%

<1%

Melting Point

94.5 C

92 - 96 C

Source: DuPont
Since both the products are serving the same function, the material and energy flows for both processes were referenced to the
production of 1000 kg crystalline Xylitol. The LCA model was built around this unit of comparison and are characterised values
depicting the potential environmental impact caused by energy and material use - and air, water and soil emissions in 15 impact
categories.

2. Excluded data

3.1 Results

Typically in an LCA, some aspects within the set boundaries

are excluded due to redundancy or statistical insignificance. The
scope and boundaries for this study excluded the impacts from
human activities, such as employee travel to and from work.

Results indicate that the environmental impacts associated with

Xylitol production using the BHP concept are greater for all
impact categories considered. The main scenario in the study
shows that the BHP concept results in environmental impacts
that are 84% - 99% higher than those associated with the DWB
integration concept.

Additionally, the following aspects of Xylitol are excluded from

the scope because the same modeling and assumptions would be
made for both the manufacturing processes (so the net difference in results would be the same):
D
 istribution of Xylitol to the various markets. The markets for
both the BHP based Xylitol and the DWB Xylitol are spread
globally. Considering the global nature of the markets for the
two products, the distribution impacts from both the systems
are expected to be more or less the same. Therefore, the
distribution was excluded from the main analysis. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of each system was tested by conducting
a sensitivity analysis for distribution;
Production of food products containing Xylitol (the same for
both processes);
Distribution of Xylitol in a food or beverage final product
to the wholesaler and local grocery (the same for both
processes);
Purchase of Xylitol at the store and transportation of these
products to the location of consumption. It has been assumed
that all sources of Xylitol are being purchased at the same
grocery store and travel the same distance to be consumed;
Consumption of Xylitol, i.e. the impacts from human waste
(the same for both processes).

3. Cut-off criteria
The ISO standards recommend a cut-off criterion to be defined
for the selection of processes or flows to be included in the
system boundary. The processes or flows below these cut-offs
or thresholds can be excluded from the study as their contribution would be negligible. These criteria are mass, energy and
environmental relevance.
Essentially, all physical flows associated with the production
processes in this LCA were initially considered. To assess data
quality, however, a cut-off of the environmental relevance based
criterion was applied where the processes or flows with less
than 1% contribution to the total environmental impact as
calculated by the IMPACT2002+ method were considered
negligible and hence excluded from the study.

The LCA demonstrates that the Wood Based integration concept

adopted by DuPont for XIVIATM production is clearly superior
in its overall environmental performance when compared to the
BHP concept for Xylitol based on the environmental impact
categories considered in the analysis.
Generally speaking, in both systems, feedstock production
as well as manufacturing, are important drivers of the environmental impacts. Furthermore, the sensitivity test for electricity
grid proved that the results of this comparison are not sensitive
to the plant location. It can be therefore concluded that the
environmentally superior performance of the DWB integration
concept is not likely to change if the plant is set up in a different
geographical location.
In spite of the uncertainties and limitations associated with LCA
as a methodology, it is reasonable to conclude that in this case
based on the results and many sensitivity analyses, the production
of Xylitol by the DWB integration concept results in significantly
lower environmental burdens when compared with production
by the conventional BHP concept.
To use the results of this study in a decision making process
it is recommended that this study be complemented by a risk
assessment to consider the local environmental factors and
thresholds.

Figure 4 - Comparison of DWB concept and BHP concept (characterised results)

Impact category

Unit

Dwb Process

Bhp Process

Dwb impact vs
bhp(%)

Aquatic
acidification

kg SO2 eq.

0.00873

0.334

3%

Aquatic
ecotoxicity

Kg teg water

599

60600

1%

Aquatic
eutrophication

Kg po4 p limited

0.00119

0.0512

2%

Kg c2h3cl eq.

0.0419

0.283

15%

Global
warming

Kg co2 eq.

3.59

38.6

9%

Ionising
radiation

Bq c-14 eq.

51.1

477

11%

Land
occupation

M2org.Arable

0.0487

9.1

1%

Mineral
extraction

Mj surplus

0.0623

0.435

14%

Kg c2h3cl eq.

0.0335

1.18

3%

Non-renewable energy

Mj primary

66.8

454

15%

Ozone layer
depletion

Kg cfc-11 eq.

0.000563

0.00417

14%

Respiratory
inorganics

Kg pm2.5 eq.

0.00152

0.0433

4%

Respiratory
organics

Kg c2h4 eq.

0.000991

0.00606

16%

Terrestrial
acid/nutri

Kg so2 eq.

0.034

1.06

3%

Terrestrial
ecotoxicity

Kg teg soil

150

2660

6%

Carcinogens

Non-carcinogens

Figure 5 - Comparison of DWB concept and BHP concept (characterised results)

DWB integration concept

BHP concept

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%

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Showing that DWB results in significantly less impact to the environment.

DuPonts commitment to sustainable production however goes further than Life Cycle
Assessment. Customers product performance is an important part of managing the total
environmental impact. Collaborating with customers to drive further environmental and
cost-saving benefits is important in creating sustainable products for the future.

4. What does this mean?

5. The future

Food products, including growth of crops, transportation,

processing, use and disposal, account for approximately 1/3 of
total man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Meat typically has a
high carbon footprint, with red meats higher than white meats
due to methane emissions by ruminants. Vegetables tend to have
a lower carbon footprint when compared with meat, although
growing in a greenhouse does increase the total carbon emissions. Amongst the highest contributors to CO2 emissions
in the meat category is beef with an average emission rate of
20-40kg CO2 eq/kg fresh meat. The carbon footprint of 1kg
XIVIA (3.6kg CO2 eq/kg) is similar to that of 1kg pork meat,
ready to eat, whilst Xylitol produced with the BHP concept
would equate to that of 11kg pork meat.

The world faces unprecedented challenges. In the next 40 years,

the worlds population is projected to grow from 6.8 billion to
9 billion people. Economic pressures will lead to increased
deforestation, an influx to large urban conurbations and the
climate will change as a result of global warming.

Dairy products have a relatively lower carbon footprint when

compared with meat, with milk typically around 1kg CO2 eq/
kg finished product. Cheese is around 10 times higher at 10kg
CO2 eq/kg. This means that the emissions from the production
of 1kg XIVIA equate to 3.6kg milk production or approximately 330g cheese production. For Xylitol produced by the
conventional BHP concept these figures would be close to 40kg
milk and 3.5kg cheese production, ten times higher than when
compared with XIVIA. (Mat och Klimat; Angervall et al:
SIK Rapport Nr 776 2008).

How we address the demand for food availability, energy

efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and better health & nutrition
will be critical to the future of our industry, the world population
and the planet.

6. People, planet and profit

We see these challenges as opportunities for our industry to make
a positive difference. It is our job to enable solutions for some
of these challenges through how we source our raw materials,
produce our products and how we innovate to deliver more
sustainable solutions.
For DuPont, sustainability is about finding innovative, sustainable solutions to help customers make products that provide
lasting benefits to the society we live in, today and tomorrow.

The near future will see the proliferation of food companies

publishing the carbon footprint of their products and using this
on packaging. Some companies have already started to publish
data. For example, a standard pack of flavoured crisps has a
carbon footprint of 75g CO2 eq, whilst a bar of chocolate (49g)
has been calculated to have a carbon footprint of 169g CO2 eq.
The manufacture of 1kg of Xylitol from the BHP would equal
the emissions from the production of 480 bags of crisps and 230
chocolate bars. In comparison, the production of 1kg XIVIATM
would have a similar carbon footprint to just 45 bags of crisps or
20 chocolate bars.

7. Additional product benefits

8. Status

XIVIATM is a sustainable, naturally occurring sweetener with all

the sweetness of sugar but with 40% less calories. It leaves no
after taste that makes it an ideal ingredient for applications
where taste, texture and mouthfeel are critical to a products
acceptance by end users.

Xylitol is widely approved for use in food around the world.

It is also extensively approved for use in oral hygiene products,
pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries.

It is the sweetest of all the naturally occurring polyols and is

widely approved for use in food & beverages, oral hygiene
products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals worldwide.
M
 eets consumers demand for natural and sustainable
products
P
 roven to reduce the development of dental caries
R
 educes plaque formation
Provides a natural, intense cooling effect
R
 educes the incidence of acute otitis media, the most
common ear infection in children
C
 omplements fluoride in dental health products giving
added protection in the fight against tooth decay
I s safe for diabetics and individuals with hyperglycaemia
E
 xhibits a low glycaemic index of 9 (GI 100 for glucose)
I s safe for pregnant or nursing women
S hows no known toxicity in humans

10

In 1993, Xylitol was allocated an Acceptable Daily Intake of

not specified by the Joint Expert Committee on Food
Additives ( JECFA), the safest category into which JECFA is
able to place a food ingredient.
All grades of XIVIATM from DuPont are derived from nongenetically modified raw material sources and no genetically
modified organisms are used at any stage during the manufacturing process.
XIVIATM has Kosher Pareve and Halal status and all production sites are accredited with 9001:2008 Quality Management
systems. HACCP principles are followed at all XIVIATM
production sites, and XIVIATM meets all of the requirements of
the major pharmacopeia. DuPont has a first class safety record
at all of our XIVIATM productions plants, with a safety first
approach being adopted.

 We are trusted for the quality, consistency and security of

supply of our Xylitol product. We have a reputation for
regulatory and food application know-how. We form strategic
partnerships with customers to meet the needs of the global
food industry. We are in close cooperation with the scientific
community and actively publish the findings of our proprietary
research & development work.

9. Welcome to the Global Collaboratory

DuPont Nutrition & Health provides innovative solutions that
help manufacturers meet some of the worlds greatest challenges
in food. As the premier specialty food ingredient and safety
leader, we bring together a wide range of natural and sustainable
food ingredients, soy proteins and advanced diagnostics technologies to help improve the taste, texture and safety of food
products, while improving their health profile.

We collaborate closely with our customers all over the world.
We have testing laboratories in many countries, so we can
develop and test specific products, and tailor them to fit the
local market.

We bring industry-leading science, a broad product portfolio,

market and regulatory expertise, and global innovation networks to our collaborations with raw material suppliers and
customers around the world. The work we do together in what
we call the Global Collaboratory helps food and beverage
producers respond to market dynamics, deliver consistent
quality and add value across their product lines.

We offer a unique all-in-one approach; from concepts and

claims to application technology and marketing partnerships.
DuPont is included in both the Global and S&P 500 Carbon
Disclosure Leadership Indices by the Carbon Disclosure Project
(CDP). The company is also listed in the North America
Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Figure 6 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 2010/2011

Economic

Environmental

Social

0%

20%
Average score

40%
DuPont score

60%

80%

100%

Best score

11

10. A more sustainable solution for customers

and consumers
Overall, this study demonstrates that the environmentally
superior performance of the DWB integration concept cannot
be simply attributed to the use of the side stream as the feedstock because the side stream as a raw material carries substantial
environmental burdens within itself. Instead the DWB concept
on the whole is much more efficient, with a considerably lower
use of materials and energy, in comparison to the BHP concept.
In addition to the more sustainable production process,
XIVIATM is also supported by DuPonts well-known regulatory
and scientific expertise. DuPont is committed to a high level of

customer service. Teams of dedicated speciality ingredients

professionals are on hand to provide advice and assistance with
all aspects of ingredient applications. They are experienced in a
wide range of industries from confectionery and baking to oral
care and pharmaceuticals.
XIVIATM offers an ideal, more sustainable sugar substitute
for customers who want to stay ahead and create sustainable
products for tomorrow. Functional benefits, health claims,
widespread acceptance and flexibility in various applications
provide scope for creativity in product design, formulation and
marketing campaign development.
For more information, please visit www.food.dupont.com

About DuPont Nutrition & Health

DuPont Nutrition & Health addresses the worlds challenges in food by offering a wide range of sustainable, bio-based ingredients
and advanced microbial diagnostic solutions to provide safer, healthier and more nutritious food. Through close collaboration
with customers, DuPont combines knowledge and experience with a passion for innovation to deliver unparalleled customer
value to the marketplace.

About DuPont Danisco

DuPont Danisco is the brand for a range of products that help provide enhanced bioprotection, an improved nutritional
profile, and better taste and texture with greater cost efficiency and lower environmental impact, meeting the needs of manufacturers of food and beverages, dietary supplements and pet food. Through the work of the global network of food scientists
and technologists in DuPont, the Danisco range is supported by a uniquely broad spectrum of know-how across applications
and processing.

White Paper - xylitol - 2e

12/2012

This is business-to-business information intended for food and supplement producers, and is not intended for the final consumer. This
information is based on our own research and development work and is, to the best of our knowledge, reliable. However, DuPont does
not assume any liability or risk involved in the use of its products, as conditions of use are beyond our control. Manufacturers should
check local regulatory status of any claims according to the intended use of their product.

DuPont Nutrition & Health

Phone: +33 1 56 60 47 00 Fax: +33 1 56 60 47 02
health&protection@danisco.com www.danisco.com/health

Copyright 2012 DuPont or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo,
DuPont, The miracles of science, Danisco and all products denoted with or
are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its
affiliated companies.